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A Heart of Sorrowful Power
A Heart of Sorrowful Power, often abbreviated to AHOSP or HOSP, is the first Dungeons and Dragons campaign run by Le Buddies Play D&D. This adventure is also the first of Our Adventurers, Blarg Deaff, Zander Taxe, Aisu Kurimu of House Arcticstar, Psych Diety, Enel Enlee, and others. The plot centers around the appearance of the Dark Lord Rob Boss and the ensuing rise of the New Nerathian Empire. The Party is enlisted to aid in defeating the New Nerathian Empire. =Campaign= Season 1 War in Harkenwold Trouble in Harken (AKA The Adventure Begins) Prior to the start of the campaign, a rag-tag group of adventurers formed. This consisted of Blarg Deaff, Zander Taxe, Aisu Kurimu, and Psych Diety. The group all met after Psych fell from the sky and landed on Blarg, and they unified under the pretense of defeating the Dark Lord Rob Boss. The first destination that the newly formed Party traveled to was Harken. There they were hired by the village elder, Old Keller to take care of a group of goblins living in a small underground structure on the outskirts of the town. Although it took longer than expected, The Party successfully killed the goblins and were paid for their work. This act earned them recognition in the town and brought them to the attention of John Stockmer, the town's patron lord and Baron of Harkenwold. Stockmer wished to hire The Party as mercenaries in the fight against a threat known as The Boodreavers, worshipers of Rob Boss. The Party agreed and joined the Harkenwold Militia on its trek to Albridge, which was under attack by Bloodreavers. The Battle of Albridge Once The Party reached Albridge, they met with Bran Torsson, a high ranking member of the prominent Dwarven Tor Clan. The Tor and Harkenwold forces had managed to maintain control of the portion of the town south of the bridge, but their mage, Rupert Varc, had recently changed sides. Bran explained that they had repulsed two attacks of the bridge, but Rupert Varc was planning a third larger assault. Just as John Stockmer's forces began to reinforce the bridge, war horns sounded and the Bloodreavers attacked. The Party fought along side the Tor and Harkenwold forces, battling along side Bran Torsson, who proved to be the best warrior there. In addition they met the Tor brothers Reginald and Archibald on the battlefield, the latter of whom died valiantly and the former of whom avenged his fallen brother. During the fight, Zander killed Rupert Varc and then proceeded to kick his body into the river, which would have consequences in the future. After victoriously routing the enemy, John Stockmer and Bran Torsson began planning to retake Tor's Hold, which had been captured by the Bloodreavers and was now their forward outpost in Harkenwold. The army was to march to in three days, giving The Party three days to kill. Chaos in the Caves Learning from John Stockmer that the town of Marl was having trouble with a Bloodreaver attacks, The Party set out for Marl to help. There they learned that a Bloodreaver camp had been set up in in the Marldown Caves and had been raiding the town, so they headed out for the cave entrance. The Party made their way through the caves, eventually reaching a nest of giant rats. Zander and Aisu attempted to tame some of the rats, although only Zander was successful, naming it Zipper. Both Blarg and Psych took issue with Zipper, with Zipper actually attacking Psych after he attacked it, and this argument devolved into a fight. While Psych was attacking Zander, the commotion attracted a group of cavern chokers. These monsters managed to get the drop on Blarg, Psych, and Aisu, but were unable to get to Zander as he had retreated onto the cavern ceiling. With the help of Zipper, the Party defeated the chokers and found another victim further into the cave. The victim had a mysterious necklace on them, which Zander took. The party eventually found the rest of the Bloodreaver forces and during the fight, Aisu convinced a Bloodreaver Raider to pursue their dream of dancing, which caused them to ascend to Dancing Heaven. This resulted in The Dancing Spirits blessing Aisu and following him in their adventure. The Party captured the leader of the Bloodreaver Group, Bellouk Krand, and continued into the next room, where they found Rob Boss. He sent them into a dream state where they were killed by a Dream Beholder. The group woke up to find Rob Boss gone. They then proceeded to gather the raided materials, took their captive, and returned to Marl. In the process they were given to opportunity to take what they wanted from the spoils. Preparing the Militia After leaving Marl, The Party dropped Bellouk Krand off with the Tor and Harkenwold forces at Albridge and continued exploring Harkenwold. Finding many dead Bloodreavers at Heana's House killed by druidic poisons, The Party decided to visit Druid's Grove to find the user of such powerful poisons. In Druid's Grove, Reithann told The Party that her student Lorel Faetouched was the one who killed the Bloodreavers at Heana's House. Lorel agreed to help in the siege of Tor's Hold, after which Zander and Aisu received blessings from Melora upon praying at her shrine. The Party then traveled south to trade at the Woodsinger Camp before returning to Albridge and prepared for the Siege. The Siege of Tor's Hold Upon The Party's return to Albridge, the army had prepared to march the next morning. They briefly interrogated Bellouk Krand, only to learn he was the estranged son of Bloodreaver leader Chief Krand and only really wanted to be a fisherman. The army then set out for Tor's Hold. Upon reaching the gate they were assaulted by archers and the local commander: Chief Larkk. Larkk was a necromancer and summoned skeletal soldiers to attack the army, before retreating in shame when he accidentally hit his own men with a necrotic energy bomb. He then left Rupert Varc in command. Varc himself had been resurrected by Larkk after his deceased body washed ashore near the hold. Lorel Faetouched used druidic magic to temporarily raise the gates, allowing her and The Party to slip inside. In Tor's Hold The Party did battle with the various Bloodreaver forces garrisoned inside as Bran Torsson continued the assault outside. They managed to free Hammond Torsson, the imprisoned Steward of Tor's Hold. Hammond explained that his nephew, Hergar Torsson, had betrayed the clan hoping to gain powers from Rob Boss, and this is what led to the keep's fall. The Party also freed Question Mark/Stephen, a murderous orc being kept in the dungeon. Blarg managed to convince Question Mark to aid them under the pretense he would be able to slaughter the occupying Bloodreavers. After killing Hergar Torsson and fighting their way up to the battlements The Party was reunited with Bran Torsson and Reginald, as well as a mysterious newcomer named Enel Enlee. Enel stated that she wanted to defeat Rob Boss in order to see Bob Ross's abs, and decided to join The Party on their quest. The group also met a goblin sharpshooter named Fefe the Ferret, who was actually a furry and decided to lay down his arms. He also had an apparent crush on Blarg, partially due to a misunderstanding in which Blarg was perceived as also being a furry (mostly peddled by Enel). This profoundly soured Lorel's perception of The Party. Before continuing up the group once again defeated Rupert Varc and pushed him off the battlements. Blarg dropped a dire rat heart onto Rupert's body in a futile attempt to stop him from returning to life again. Finally approaching the tower where Chief Larkk had retreated to, The Party's path was blocked by a questionably hispanic Antipaladin. The Antipaladin seemed to target Aisu in particular and it was revealed that he was actually a member of House Pyrostar before being killed. Zander also MLG dueled a particularly notable Bloodreaver Archer and easily won. The Party then finally challenged Chief Larkk and defeated him. Bloodreavers Rising To Fallcrest! With the recapture of Tor's Hold, the Bloodreavers retreated from Harkenwold, taking with them a number of enslaved civilians from Toadwallow. In exchange for their help was mercenaries, John Stockmer granted The Party access to the Harkenwold Armory. After gearing up there, the Party decided to head north in pursuit of the fleeing Bloodreavers in search of Rob Boss. On the road the group was attacked by a lynch mob led by Orell Ostrak. Orell was a former victim of Blarg's, out for revenge. This was short lived and he was slain by Blarg, dispersing the crowd. While traveling through the Harken Wood, they caught up with a group of Bloodreaver Goblins led by Calvier Murook that was transporting a number of captured civilians. The Party easy defeated the goblins and found Fefe the Ferret among those captured. Apparently Fefe was in debt due to loans he took out to buy his fur suit, leading to his capture. Aisu provided Fefe with some monetary aid before setting off again. The Raven Roost Emerging from the wood, the imposing fortress of The Raven Roost blocked The Party's path. It was apparently now a major base for the Bloodreavers. The Party attempted to assault the castle, to little effect, and retreated. The next day they returned with Aisu disguised as a member of House Pyrostar who captured the previous night's attackers (the rest of the party). Aisu fooled Khelis the Valet with his disguise, who then let them inside. Zander succeeded in stealing Khelis' keys, allowing the others to escape the dungeon they were thrown into. Aisu soon realized that a coronation was occurring at the castle, where Chief Krand was being proclaimed Emperor of the newly re-branded Bloodreavers: The New Nerathian Empire. Rob Boss and Kopu Keiku were also present at the coronation, leading to Aisu being quickly discovered as an impostor. Members of the coronation, including Emo Hair Steve, Joe Guardson, The Goblin Judge, and Gordeon the Snake then attempted to apprehend The Party, but they escaped. This was in part due to the aid of Helpful Tom and the Lazy Raiders. A Besieged City After making it to a nearby hill, The Party witnessed the New Empire's Airship depart from The Raven Roost and travel to Thunderspire. The Party managed to make it past the Bloodreaver Outposts and arrive at the city of Fallcrest. Fallcrest had been under attack by the Bloodreavers, but had thus far manged to hold out. However, as a result the city was under lockdown and entering was forbidden. Though the Captain of the Guard, Sir Gregory Rammelm, did not want to let them through, word from John Stockmer of their aid had reached beforehand and convinced the guards to open the gate. In the city they came across the College of Fallcrest and High Library, both run by the prestigious Velbard the Wizard. Velbard allowed them access to the library and its wealth of information, which would become a major time-sink. The Party began to resupply at the plentiful shops within the city, including the acquisition of two new "members": a horse named Zagger and a goat named Gogoat. Blarg also met a fellow Falchion enthusiast named Captain Falchion. He and Enel also found a dealing in 'medicinal herbs', which they smoked in a wooded area with Thomas the Bard. While at the central trade district, The Party was approached by an old lady. She warned that a number of adventurers had gone missing in the city recently, and almost all had been staying at the Weary Sword Inn before their disappearance. This prompted The Party to investigate. Missing Heroes A stakeout was set up at The Weary Sword Inn by The Party, and during the night they found a mysterious figure breaking in. After realizing they were caught, the figure fled to The Underbelly, with The Party in pursuit. In The Underbelly The Party was confronted by a series of puzzles and villainous figures calling themselves The Jesters. Overcoming their obstacles and navigating through The Underbelly's maze of tunnels, The Party did battle with the entire group of Jesters. Upon victory The Party learned that The Jesters were capturing heroes because that was a prerequisite to be 'real villains'. The Party then freed the captured 'heroes', which included a young halfling boy named Dillock Wraglins and a depressing failure of an adventurer named Bob Longstrider. When The Party returned to the old lady to tell her the threat was gone, she revealed herself to actually be Robbie Rotten in disguise. He had apparently had orchestrated the entire plot, and attacked The Party. However, he was defeated as well. Of Swords and Liches After the Sword of Leavisus With the defeat of Robbie Rotten, The Party traveled to the Fallcrest Barracks to see if they could be hired as mercenaries for the Fallcrest Army's war with the New Nerathian Empire, similar to in Harkenwold. There they met The Steel Fist, a prominent orc soldier. He directed them to Keep Clodese to speak with Lady Clodese, wife of the city's lord and primary political force. Lady Clodese explained that her husband refused to leave the city to attack the enemy because of the influence of the overly cautious/cowardly Sir Gregory Rammelm. Lady Clodese realized that while now their army might have a shot at victory, the New Nerathian Empire was only growing in strength and would eventually crush the city if they continued to wait. In order to convince her husband to attack before it was too late, she dispatched the city's hero Sportacus to retrieve the Sword of Leavisus from The Sword Barrow. Legend told that the wielder of the Sword of Leavisus could not be defeated, and presenting it to Lord Clodese might spur him to battle. However, Sportcus had already been gone nearly two weeks and worries that something had gone wrong began to mount. So Lady Clodese promised The Party a hefty reward sound they locate Sportacus and return with the Sword of Leavisus. The Party accepted the mission and Lady Clodese provided them a note granting permission to enter and exit the city freely. Tomb of Swords As The Party departs Fallcrest for the Sword Barrow, they quickly come across a problem: the Nentir River, which must be crossed to reach the Sword Barrow. There are usually ferries at Varstel Crossing, but Norman Varstel is refusing to embark because of river raids by the Red Thegn Pirates. To overcome this, The Party enlists Captain Falchion from Fallcrest to sail a ship across. Captain Falchion agreed, apparently itching to get out of the city's lockdown and do just about anything. They make the crossing at night to avoid detection by the pirates, and the trip is uneventful. Reaching the other side they make the trek to the barrow itself, finding a group of Zombies clustered outside. During the ensuing battle, Enel is bitten on her arm, though this initially seen as not dangerous. They enter the tomb and encounter a large number of Wights. Fighting past them, a Troll, and a trio of nuclear Automatons, The Party reaches a pair of Phantom Warriors named Aergim and Boige. The two's bodies were buried here to protect the Sword of Leavisus, but The Party convinces them to open the way. Within the last chamber one last challenge awaits. The Party finds the sword trapped behind a force field and Sportacus locked in a cage. A powerful lich named Lianmar had apparently taken up residence there, holding the others hostage. However, Lianmar doesn't seem openly hostile and is more intrigued with the arrival of The Party than anything else. He especially senses something off with Psych. The Party ends up bargaining with Lianmar for the sword and Sportacus, and he offers a trade. Lianmar explains that his former apprentice, Proditor Magum, had betrayed him and stole the Elitin Varguim (a powerful item of Lianmar's creation) as a gift for Rob Boss in exchange for power. Lianmar would therefore trade the Sword of Leavisus and Sportacus for the return of the Elitin Varguim and capture of Proditor Magum, as Lianmar did not want to face Rob Boss' power himself. In addition, if Psych so wished, Lianmar would take him as a new apprentice. The Party agreed to these terms. The Third Battle of Fallcrest The following night, having just left The Sword Barrow, The Party found themselves ambushed. A group of ninjas calling themselves Dragonslayers surrounded The Party's camp with the intent of assassinating Blarg. The other Party members refused the Dragonslayer's calls to hand Blarg over, leading to a fight in which the ninjas were forced to retreat. Making it back to the ship where Captain Falchion is waiting, the Party embarks back towards Varstel Crossing. However, Zander quickly spots another ship trailing them. The ship quickly catches up, revealing itself to be the Red Thegn Pirates. The ensuing battle ends when Blarg ignites the stores of rum on the pirate's ship, which causes it to explode. Though their ship had sustained substantial damage it made it back to port and The Party repaid damages via a relic found in The Sword Barrow. Yet their sense of security quickly vanished as they witnessed smoke rising from Fallcrest in the distance. In addition, the New Empire's Airship was hovering over the city. The Party rushes to see what is going on, finding The Steel Fist leading a group of White Shields (the city guards), fighting off New Empire Legionaries pouring into the city streets. With the help of The Party, they push the New Empire back and destroy an enemy ballista. The arrival of Velbard the Wizard helps turn the tide and force Gordeon the Snake, commander of the New Empire's ground forces, to fall back. However, fireballs still rain down on the city from the airship as the battle continues elsewhere. Velbard determines that the airship must be taken out if they are to win the battle as a whole. They fight their way to the area below the airship, where Velbard conjures a giant mage hand. The Party climbs atop the spectral hand, which proceeds to lift them up. Narrowly dodging a ballista bolt fired from the airship, they land somewhat safely on the deck. Combat begins with the airship's crew and Enel manages to grab hold of the controls, beginning to lower it towards the ground. The airship's captain, Atla then attacks, aided by the again-resurrected Rupert Varc. Zander is nearly killed by the two, but Enel banks the ship to the side and knocks Rupert off the side to his presumed third death. Alta is then defeated by the others but reveals that her magic is what was holding the ship in the air with her death it will plummet and kill them all. Luckily Enel had lowered the ship considerably and The Party was able to easily survive the fall (Aisu being let down gently with the help of The Dancing Spirits). With the airship down the remaining New Empire forces appear to have been defeated and the city celebrates their victory that night. Enel and Blarg partake heavily in the festivities, with Blarg ending up taking part in a drunken orgy at the town center. During this he ends up breaking Whitey Shieldington's Wife's back, while Enel unknowingly gives Whitey Shieldington Zombieism when they sleep together. Psych and Zander avoid the festivities entirely while Aisu helps with repairs in the damaged portions of the city. Aisu later meets with Velbard at the High Library to ask about any books pertaining to the mysterious necklace Zander had found. The magical librarians delivered a book, but it was strangely unintelligible. Velbard recognized that some sort of obscuring spell had been cast on it and offered to help break the curse, though it might take some time, but delighting in the challenge nonetheless. Psych attempted to foster a family of Fire Beatles but they turned against him, Blarg and Enel meanwhile kept passing out in the woods. Lianmar's Requests Once the partying had died down it came time to depart again in search of the Elitin Vagruim and Proditor Magum. The Party first set out for The Raven Roost, as Aisu had learned from Khelis the Vallet that the Varguim was held there during his time disguised. They found the castle well defended, but also encountered Fefe the Ferret doing something in the woods nearby. They managed to convince Fefe to distract the guards, allowing The Party to slip through a side entrance. Inside they slew Emo Hair Steve and located the Elitin Varguim, but it was being guarded by Rupert Varc. Rupert summoned Chillborn, but Psych managed to swipe the Varguim. As he touched it, however, he felt something trying to enter his mind and hastily dropped it. Rupert then attempted to pick the Varguim up but was vaporized after touching it. Aisu proceeded to use mage hand to carry the Varguim out. The Party then found a commotion at the front gate, where Fefe had been captured. Doran Millicent, a wandering mercenary, was also being hired by Khelis to hunt The Party down. Leaving the Elitin Varguim, The Party goes to try and free Fefe. Meanwhile, Blarg had strayed from the others and killed Helpful Tom. This incurred the wrath of Less Helpful Pete and Somewhat Helpful Jim, who followed Blarg out and inadvertently discovered the Elitin Varguim. The battle progressed outside, with Doran quickly switching sides and Khelis being killed. Psych used crown of madness to turn one of the guards, Rebellia Guardude against the New Empire. Just as things seemed about over, a blast of energy launched Less Helpful Pete out of the castle. Somewhat Helpful Jim had apparently picked up the Elitin Varguim and was corrupted by its power, firing beams of energy at The Party. Zander managed to shoot Jim, causing him to lose control and be consumed by the Varguim, which returned to an inert state. With the Elitin Varguim in tow The Party returned to Fallcrest and left it with Velbard for safe keeping. In a surprising show a new arrival catapulted himself into the city; a gnome tinkerer by the name of Gillbob. Psych purchased a mechanical 'brain' and book on mechanics from Gillbob. Enel then bought some mechanized throwing stars. Setting out again they headed for the Terrah Pit, where Lianmar had indicated Proditor Magum might be operating from. On the way they encountered an approaching warband of House Pyrostar soldiers, led by a baron. Aisu disguised himself as a tree while the others pretended to be simple merchants, a guise added by the fact they were traveling with a cart stolen from The Raven Roost. The baron let them go and the warband continued on its way. At the Terrah Pit, Psych managed to convince the guards that they were a delegation from The Raven Roost sent to meet with Magum. By pure luck, the guards had been expecting an actual delegation (which may have been killed by the Party while they were at The Raven Roost), and let The Party inside. They then met with Proditor Magum, who quickly relized their intentions and boasted he was invincible due to his Faezress Engine. Most of The Party engaged Prodtor, who used his machine against them. Blarg, however, attempted to pray to Torog. Interference from the Faezress Engine and proximity to the Underdark connected Blarg straight to Torog through the altar in the pit. Torog then placed an aspect of himself into Blarg, granting Blarg temporarily incredible power and sapping it from the Faezress Engine. This led to Proditor Magum's defeat, but Blarg fainted after. Untapped energy began to ravage the pit, forcing The Party to flee with an unconscious Blarg and Magum. Enel pressed every button on the elevator up, causing them to barely evade attacks from Flaming Skeletons, Kuo-toa, and Demons. The Sword Acquired Taking the captured Proditor Magum with the, The Party returned to Fallcrest. As final preparations were made to finally retrieve the Sword of Leavisus, Zander met with Thomas the Bard and became a master of the lute. With the Elitin Varguim and Proditor Magum in tow, Velbard opened a portal for The Party to return to The Sword Barrow. There they delivered the two to Lianmar, who true to his word released Sportacus and the Sword of Leavisus. Psych also agreed to become Lianmar's new apprentice, as Proditor Magum was now reserved for "experiments". To this end Lianmar requested that Psych return within a week to begin training, and was provided a ritual which would bring him to the Sword Barrow when he so wished. Doran went temporarily catatonic but punched Enel knocking her out before The Party returned to Fallcrest. Lutes, The Lutes of War Doran Got Us Kicked Out of Fallcrest Upon their return to Fallcrest, Aisu Kirimu set out to deliver the Sword of Leavisus to Lady Clodese and relay to her the safe rescue of Sportacus. She took in this information with elation and told Aisu that she would set to work convincing her husband and rallying forces for the remainder of the week, then giving Aisu the agreed-upon monetary reward. Aisu also brought up to Lady Clodese the approaching Honor Day festival. He proposed that a Shrine to the Dancing Spirits be unveiled in the city at that time, complete with a gazebo. This was accepted and Zander Taxe was also proposed to play the lute for the festival. Meanwhile, Enel, Blarg, Doran, and Psych went to check on Whitey Shieldington. When Whitey would not answer the door of his house Enel threw a rock through his window. Whitey returned by throwing the rock back out, which hit Blarg. In a rage, Blarg broke through a portion the wall. This commotion brought a lot of attention to the group, and soon guards approached to investigate. Enel successfully convinced the guards that Doran had been responsible and that he was a dangerous criminal. Doran was then violently arrested. News of this traveled fast and a beleaguered Lady Clodese told Aisu to try and keep The Party out of Fallcrest until the army was assembled to set out. Aisu proceeded to get Doran released for jail. Through all this Zander played the lute at the shrine to Melora. To get The Party out of Fallcrest, per Lady Clodese's instructions, Aisu decided to convince everyone to explore the Moon Hills in search of Question Mark. On the road south they encountered Dillock Wraglins, who had sneaked out of the city to find Draximoore, the enemy of his favorite super hero: Hercules. Dillock led them to Draximoore's secret lair, as Aisu shielded the child from Enel and Blarg's attempts to 'corrupt his mind'. There they found a lost Fefe the Ferret and Dillock helped them sove the lair's door puzzle. After gaining entrance to the lair and fighting past some Minions, they discovered Question Mark in the main chamber. Question Mark explained he came here to kill a strong monster but had only encountered weak minions. The reunion was then cut short by the arrival of Draximoore, who quickly restrained most of The Party on a magic altar, leaving only Zander and Psych with Dillock. At the behest of Blarg they reluctantly let Dillock attempt to sneak past Draximoore and free their allies, but he was caught. Before Draximoore could strike Dillock, however, Fefe revealed that he is actually the secret identity of Hercules and saved the child. Hercules then defeated Draximoore and thanked The Party. Doran wanted to hire one of Draximoore's former Elite Minions, Gerry/Jerry, but the plan ultimately fell through. Aisu also made acquaintance with a giant ferret Fefe/Hercules summoned, named Feely the Ferret. Dragonslayers, Rats, and Pirates, Oh My! The Party returned with Question Mark to deliver him to his mother. While camping outside Fallcrest, Psych and Blarg got into duel. While Psych initially won the two ended up passing out in a combative heap. Bran Torsson, Reginald, and Bellouk Krand then arrived, en route to help the gathering army at Fallcrest. Bran offered to buy them a drink in the city, but this had to be refused. Aisu personally brought Question Mark to his mother Hraagrak, who thanked him. The Party then set out to investigate Amlok Sill, the location mysteriously marked on Zander's map. While camping for the night en route, The Party came to find themselves surrounded by Dragonslayers. These were led by a man named Giermund Ronal, a former victim of Blarg's who had been empowered by magical tattoos. He revealed that he was in possession of the Deaff Family Blade, goading Blarg to attack. Giermund easily overpowered Blarg, broke his prized falchion, and left the family sword, claiming that this was simply a warning of things to come. After the Dragonslayers departed, Psych was able to repair Blarg's falchion with a ritual. The next day The Party arrived at Amlok Sill. There they encountered large sapient rats, but after Blarg killed one the ensuing combat was averted by Zipper. Zipper revealed that he was actually prince of this rat kingdom and had learned to talk from listening to Zander. Zipper led Zander and Psych into the rat city where they met The Rat King, Msquez Chklsquak. He was overjoyed by the return of his son and knighted Zander for his efforts in keeping the prince safe. Zipper requested that he remain with Zander on their journey and this was allowed.Psych then took brief leave from The Party to return to Lianmar the Lich for his first lesson as apprentice. Lianmar helped Psych commune with his patron as to better link him with the source of his power. The lich also provided Psych with new student robes, indicating that next week Psych would create his own orb. Psych then returned to the others through Lianmar's travel ritual. From here The Party departed for the Red Thegn, a notorious pirate enclave. On the way they encountered farmers who hated Xvarts and some Squirrels who attacked Psych. At Red Thegn, Psych pretended to a ghost hunter by the name of 'GhosthunterMcGee' who was there to investigate some cursed gold. First Mate Lugrarrg, believing their gold cursed by the now diseased Red Captain, was spurred on by Aisu's use of ghost sound to let Psych investigate their gold. Psych 'determined' that it was indeed cursed and must be removed, thus taking it with him. Psych also discovered a letter from Emperor Krand instructing the pirates to search for a key of some kind. Taking these The Party hastily left lest the pirates wise up to the scheme. The March Begins On the way back to Fallcrest, Aisu and Psych looked over the stolen letter. They came to a dissagreement over who should present it to Lady Clodese. Aisu contended as the others had been essentially 'banned', he should present it, while Psych believed he deserved personal credit for discovering it. The two ended up both using magical hands to try and swipe the letter, tearing it perfectly in two. Upon arriving at the city, Aisu used Lady Clodese's note to enter by himself with his half of the note. Psych attempted to barter with the guards to gain access, accidentally shooting one with Doran's crossbow in an attempt to prove himself harmless. Things escalated when Psych brought up Larry the Lawyer, who unbeknownst to him was an archdevil. Aisu, seeing the growing chaos, retrieved Hraagrak to aid the situation. She scolded all parties involved as Aisu healed the wounded guard. Under Hraagrak's supervision The Party was permitted entrance to the city. In the city, the Army of Fallcrest had assembled with allies for their campaign against the New Nerathian Empire. Aisu reunited with Bran and other companions in the Weary Sword Inn, but the rest of The Party stayed out due to Dragonslayers being hired to guard the ale from Blarg. Enel once again checked on Whitey Shieldington, but could not find him. In his ruined house she discovered a note with her and Blarg's names written in blood. The Party proceeded to gear up for the upcoming battle. The next morning everyone was roused by The Steel Fist and the army prepared to depart. The fat Lord Clodese then gave a 'rousing' speech (likely written by Lady Clodese) for the army. The lady herself sent for The Party, describing a plan pitched by Bran Torsson to sneak into the castle from a side entrance and assassinate Emperor Krand. Bellouk Krand knew of the secret entrance from when he would sneak out to go fishing, and would lead them in. The Party agreed to this plan and gathered Captain Falchion, Question Mark, and Stanley the Turtle Wizard to join them as backup. Aisu tried to get in contact with Fefe/Hercules through Feely the Ferret but he could not be reached. The army departed with The Party in tow and Zander playing an inspiring song upon Zagger's back. They soon arrived at Piketown, which was surrounded by division of the army as the rest set up camp. Psych harassed the enemy guards on the wall but to little result. Last minute supplies were procured from Annelynn, who was following the army as a provisioner. Aisu also taught Stanely's turtle to dance. The Battle of Saruum Khel Come morning the portion of the army not holding down Piketown departed for Saruum Khel, intent on attacking it before the enemy could properly react to the invasion. The Party took their leave from Lady Clodese and went ahead to the secret entrance, led by Bellouk. As the sounds of battle begun they entered through the ruined caves. Bypassing some Fire Beetles through the tunnels they found Pyrostar Antipaladins lamenting the death of Emo Hair Steve. Baron Wasabi, the House Pyrostar baron that The Party had encountered previously, soon arrived and told his soldiers off to go aid the battle. The Party continued shifting through the work tunnels, helping The Steel Fist's attack on the main gate by rising the portcullis in the process. They soon encountered the problem of reaching Emperor Krand's quarters higher up the mountain as the main elevator was heavily guarded. Discovering a generator that could power a secondary service elevator, they switched it on. A misunderstanding by Enel on the ancient dwarven instructions accidentally led to it opening a trash chute that dumped Aisu, Zander, Stanley, Dillock, and Captain Falchion down below. Meanwhile a dispute between Blarg and Enel attracted the attention of some guards. Enel managed to distract the guards as the others his, but this failed when Blarg pretended to be a crocodile and brought focus upon them. Psych, seeing the way things were going, hastily departed in the service elevator. Enel attempted to flee but was caught by another group of guards. During the ensuing chaos Enel's box was burned by Blarg's fire breath and Doran was nearly killed. Blarg and Question Mark managed to kill the remaining enemies and have everyone escape up the elevator before reinforcements showed up. The portion of The Party in the trash chute soon encountered a Giant Rust Monster but were able to slay it taking minimal damage. They found a hatch out of the dump, but it led into the New Empire's siege weapon depot. Aisu disguised himself as a member of House Pyrostar as Bellouk used his former position to claim to have captured the others. Thus they were permitted to pass and deliver the prisoners to Baron Wasabi. The group then took the service elevator up after hiding the bodies that Blarg and Question Mark had left behind. The Party reunited on the next floor and set about exploring it. Psych discovered Baron Wasabi and Emperor Krand discussing the siege at a guardhouse and announced himself. He attempted to get the two to recognize the threat Rob Boss poses to them all, but to little avail. Baron Wasabi's soldiers attacked Psych as Krand departed. In addition Wasabi had the work tunnels start to be filled with poisonous gas. Psych was almost killed after falling and breaking a leg, but was pulled to safety by Blarg, where he was treated by Aisu. Enel then convinced another group of guards that an evacuation drill was ongoing, leading them to clear the area for The Party to progress. Aisu and Bellouk took charge as having 'captured' the others again and followed the path Empreror Krand had departed in. They were checked by Baron Wasabi, but Aisu successfully pretended to be Emo Haired Steve and gained passage. Outside they caught up with Emperor Krand near the trebuchet positions. Krand easily saw through their charade and stabbed Bellouk with a poisoned dagger as he approached his father. Krand then pulled his paralyzed son away, cutting down the bridge behind them. The Party was assaulted by growing numbers of soldiers, but were saved by the arrival of the Airship, now repaired and under the command of Gillbob the Tinkerer with the help of Velbard the Wizard. Boarding the Aitship they were airlifted to the higher potions of the mountain-fortress, but could not go higher due to severe winds from a storm brewing at the mountaintop. So The Party departed where they could. Only a few guards and a mechanical turret now stood in between The Party and Emperor Krand and they set to work. Psych managed to deactivate the turret, but accidentally stole two of Question Mark's kills. Infuriated, Question Mark demanded one of Psych's fingers in retribution, but this managed to get talked down to part of Psych's horn. Bran Torsson and Reginald, who had departed the Airship to aid The Party, took Captain Falchion and held off any reinforcements as The Party went on. After slaying the Brush of Rob Boss and remaining guards they gained access to the mountain's peak. Once there The Party found Emperor Krand holding Bellouk, who he then trapped within a flaming prison to die. Krand professed that he had been blessed with 'beauty' by Rob Boss and could not be defeated by the 'ugly' Party. Lightning from the growing storm then struck Krand, transforming him into a hideous monster. As The Party fought Krand he continued to evolve to more monstrous forms, finally becoming a massive four-faced hulk of a creature. Despite Krand's immense power he was slain by The Party and the storm subsided. Aftermath of the Battle Aisu managed to use some residuum collected by Zander from the rust monster they killed earlier and save Bellouk from the flame prison just in time. Bran Torsson soon arrived to tell The Party that the battle was over and that the Army of Fallcrest had secured the fortress. Many of the New Empire soldiers had surrendered with the death of their emperor, but Baron Wasabi and many Pyrostar Soldiers had escaped out back passageways. Aisu met with Lady Clodese on the walls, giving her information that Emperor Krand had spoken about a Heart of Dolon that he had almost uncovered, and that it would change the world. Understandably worried by this, Lady Clodese agreed to look into it. The army set out back towards Fallcrest, leaving behind some divisions to hold Saruum Khel. They encamped again at Piketown, which had now been liberated. Aisu convinced Captain Falchion to keep Enel, Blarg, Doran, and Psych at Piketown until after Honor Day to not mess up his plans. This was achieved by promises of alcohol in Piketown. Aisu and Zander returned to Fallcrest, where they met the Party Planning Committee. Zander was slated to play with his legendary lute skills for the festivities, while final decisions on the new Dancing Spirit Shrine were worked out. Aisu then visited Velbard at the high library, who told him that the cursed book had finally been deciphered. Aisu took it and began to read: it's title was 'The Heart of Dolon'. Season 2 Whispers of a Key Loose Ends The Ferrelroost Caper Villains Attack! Return to Ferrelroost